PioneerCare

Dedicated to Care

COVID-19

Dressing for Covid

Keeping It Light:

In a year when many people barely left the house, PioneerCare employees continued their work to serve medically vulnerable people and tested for COVID-19 almost every week since the spring of 2020. When conditions required it, testing frequency reached twice weekly. Employees came in for testing on their days off, too. Working or not, they tested.

Residents living within PioneerCare Center have required repeated testing as well. PioneerCare’s aggressive approach to testing helped catch cases, especially with asymptomatic people, before infection could spread further.

Kirstin Phillips, a certified nursing assistant (CNA) and trained medication assistant (TMA) at PioneerCare, found a way to make testing day even more involved for herself – and more fun for everyone.

“For work, I wear scrubs all the time and it gets kind of boring,” Kirstin said. “I was counting how many times I got tested and thought, ‘Oh, I’m going to dress up’ and that’s how it started.” By Kirstin’s count, she has been swabbed for the virus 34 times so far.

In her effort to lighten the mood on each testing day, Kirstin got an idea for a costume, found things around the house to put together a costume, and hunted down missing pieces on Amazon and in second-hand shops.

“I did the big, fancy ones on my days off,” Kirstin said, “especially the ones involving hair.” On her workdays, she changed into the simpler costumes once she arrived. In August, Kirstin went to COVID-19 testing day as the Parkers Prairie Fall Festival Queen, a role she was officially crowned for as a senior in high school. “I still put on the crown for my birthday – Queen for a day!”

Kirstin showed up in costume by herself for the most part. Some ideas required more than one person.  “I conned a few people into going along with me for some of them,” she said. Fall Festival Queen, Wonder Woman, The Incredibles, prom dates, Marty McFly from Back to the Future, Cruella De Vil from 101 Dalmatians, Where’s Waldo, a butterfly, Rosie the Riveter – inspiration came from many directions.

“For Rosie the Riveter, I put my hair in foam curlers the night before and slept that way. That made it easier in the morning.”

Residents enjoyed seeing Kirstin’s costumes and she noted how it brightened their day. Staff repeatedly asked, “What are you going to do next?”

“What is next” has been a recurring question with the pandemic. Moving through the pandemic has been a series of overlapping phases as the virus spread in our communities, as knowledge of the virus grew, and as resources developed and became available. While details change, testing, visitor restrictions, and infection control have been a constant at PioneerCare.

“Our testing strategy is important to identify cases early enough to stop the potential spread within our buildings,” said Nathan Johnson, PioneerCare’s CEO. “Testing, along with vigilant attention to prevention measures, is helping us focus on our number one priority to protect residents and staff within PioneerCare Center, Pioneer Cottages Memory Care, and Pioneer Pointe.”

“Since the beginning, we have practiced comprehensive infection control measures to protect our residents and staff, based on recommended COVID-19 guidance from the Minnesota Department of Health, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services,” Johnson said.

Now, following that guidance and with coronavirus vaccines available, PioneerCare residents and employees experienced their first vaccine dose on January 9. The second dose is expected in early February. PioneerCare has partnered with CVS Pharmacies to provide the vaccine developed by Moderna.

Residents and staff at Pioneer Cottages in Breckenridge expect to receive their first dose on Sunday, January 17. At Pioneer Cottages and Pioneer Pointe, vaccine distribution is set for Saturday, January 23.

Kirstin arrived for her first vaccine dose wearing fishnet stockings, a 1920s flapper dress, a string of pearls, and feathers in her hair. The day was busy with staff coming and going, and almost all residents received their vaccine as well. While Kirstin and other PioneerCare staff and residents completed the first round of vaccinations, testing and some form of visiting restrictions may continue for some time. Testing will continue at least into February, when participants receive the second vaccine dose.

PioneerCare will continue to follow available guidance from health agencies in decisions related to continued testing, infection control, visiting policies, and vaccine administration.

In June, it will be 16 years since Kirstin joined PioneerCare. In that time, she has cultivated close relationships with residents, their families, and her coworkers. Acknowledging her work is important, serious, and can be stressful at times, Kirstin addressed the role humor plays in her workday. “They say if you enjoy doing what you do, it’s not a job, it’s a lifestyle.”

And lightening the mood is part of Kirstin’s style. It has become even more important during this past year. “We can laugh. We can have a good time. If I can make you giggle, even for a second, isn’t that better?”

After the Vaccine

What to Expect:

Moving through the pandemic has been a series of overlapping phases as the virus spread in our communities, as knowledge of the virus grew, and as resources developed and became available. Now in January 2021, and while some details change, testing, visitor restrictions, and infection control have been a constant at PioneerCare.

“Since the beginning, we have practiced comprehensive infection control measures to protect our residents and staff, based on recommended COVID-19 guidance from the Minnesota Department of Health, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services,” Nathan Johnson, PioneerCare’s CEO, has said.

Now, with vaccinations underway, PioneerCare will continue following that guidance, expecting testing and some form of visiting restrictions to remain in place for some time. Testing will continue at least into February, when participants receive their second vaccine dose.

We will continue to communicate changes as they develop and are implemented. We’ve updated our Q&A information page to reflect what we know today. Learn more about the vaccine and what it means to PioneerCare residents and staff.

Essential Caregivers On Hold

July 24, 2020

Dear Family Members and Friends,

We are aware that the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has provided guidance for a new designation of an Essential Caregiver in nursing homes and assisted living.

An Essential Caregiver is an individual who was previously actively engaged with the resident or is committed to providing companionship and/or assistance with activities of daily living. The Essential Caregiver would be allowed to visit the facility under certain guidelines and restrictions.

We recognize the critical role family members and other outside caregivers, such as friends, volunteers, private personal caregivers, often have in the care and support of our residents. One of the most difficult things about COVID-19 for our residents has been the prolonged separation from families and loved ones. With the virus still very much a threat in our community, we must take careful steps in any plans to re-open our settings to visitors.

Realizing both the potential benefits and risks of allowing additional essential caregivers into the building, we will carefully consider this guidance as well as other criteria, such as the current status of COVID-19 in our setting and local community and the overall health and safety of all who live and work here.

We ask for your patience over the next few days as we review this guidance and determine our next steps in terms of how it aligns with our infection control practices and diligent commitment we have to combat this virus as we balance the safety, health, and wellness for all who live and work here.

We know the desire of our residents and their loved ones to be connected in a more meaningful way and also recognize the concerns that many of our residents and families regarding our ability to prevent and contain this virus in light of more people having access to our building(s).

Please know we are carefully considering our options, evaluating our policies and protocols, and will be sharing more information with you as soon as we have completed that process for each of our locations. In the meantime, please reach out us if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Nathan Johnson, CEO  |  218.998.1518

Sara Watkins, Administrator, Care Center  |  218.998.1516

Ann Boutwell, Housing Director, Pioneer Cottages  |  218.998.9677

Stephanie Lunde, Housing Director, Pioneer Pointe  |  218.739.7772

Second Case Identified

(July 14, 2020) In our web post dated July 8, 2020 we shared news of our first staff positive case of COVID-19 at the nursing home. We immediately conducted an Exposure Risk Assessment and began testing of many residents and staff. We ended up testing about 70 people. We received those results today. One additional positive case in a resident of the nursing home was identified. The staff member is recovering at home and the resident (currently asymptomatic) is recovering in our designated COVID-19 unit.

Our COVID-19 unit was set up several months ago and is designed to care for residents with confirmed positive COVID-19. This unit is completely separated from the rest of the building, has negative air pressure, and is staffed with designated staff who will only work on that unit.

We are taking all precautions to stop the spread of this virus, and we are actively working in collaboration with the Minnesota Department of Health to ensure we are taking all appropriate steps at this time.

Wide-Spread Testing.  Because we now have a positive case identified in a resident, it is necessary to implement Point Prevalence Survey testing once again. This means we will be testing all nursing home residents and staff weekly until we have two consecutive weeks of no new positive cases identified.  Wide-spread testing will give us the best picture of the scope and magnitude of what we are dealing with.

Ongoing Communication/Situation Update. Being transparent and upfront with residents, their families, and staff is important to us. To manage this efficiently and effectively going forward, here is a general outline of our communication plan:

  • Personal Phone Call. Families of any resident who tests positive will receive a personal phone call from staff.
  • Website.  For situation updates, we will use our website to communicate current active cases in residents and staff, by location.  You may view this update here.
  • Phone System.  As an alternative to our website, we have created a message center on our phone system with a pre-recorded situational update message. Call 218-998-1500 and follow prompts to hear the situational update.

Next steps:  Effective immediately, here is a summary of additional steps we are taking in response to this development:

  • Resume Wide-Spread Testing.  Thursday, July 16, 2020, nursing home staff and residents only.
  • Enhanced Restrictions and PPE Use. All nursing home residents should be restricted to their rooms with limited travel throughout the facility. All residents in Short Stay and the Apple Blossom household will be cared for using transmission-based precautions (COVID-19 PPE) until further notice.
  • Communal Dining. Communal dining is cancelled on ALL households until further notice.
  • Small Group Activities. Small group activities are cancelled on ALL households until further notice.
  • Outdoor Visits. Outdoor visits for ALL residents are cancelled until further notice. Closed window visits and electronic visits are still permitted and encouraged.

Our goal in implementing these actions is to quickly limit further transmission of this virus. We are confident in our infection prevention and control measures, and in our ability to manage this small outbreak safely and effectively.

We sincerely hope these additional restrictions are very short-term. We will continue to provide updates on any news, emerging issues, or additional changes in our operations.

Case Identified in Care Center

(July 8, 2020) Today, we have been notified that a staff member of our nursing home tested positive for Coronavirus (COVID-19). We are taking all precautions to stop the spread of this virus.

Our priority is to keep everyone safe and healthy and we are doing everything we can to stop the spread of this virus within our setting. Beginning in March we initiated aggressive, proactive infection control measures and screening procedures, which we believe will help us manage this case as effectively as possible. In addition, we are working in collaboration with the Minnesota Department of Health to ensure we are taking all appropriate steps at this time.

We immediately completed an Exposure Risk Assessment, and we believe the level of risk to other residents and staff is Low Risk. The employee was wearing all recommended PPE, was adhering to all recommended infection control practices, and did not have prolonged close contact with residents during the individual’s shift.

Out of an abundance of caution we are conducting testing for those who were in direct contact with the individual, and will keep the following enhanced restrictions in place until the test results are in and we can further evaluate.

Next steps:  Effective immediately, here are some additional steps we are taking in response to this development:

  • Enhanced Restrictions and PPE Use. All residents of Short Stay and Apple Blossom should be restricted to their rooms and cared for using transmission-based precautions (COVID-19 PPE) until further notice.
  • Testing. All residents on Short Stay and Apple Blossom will be tested for COVID-19.  In addition, many staff identified in our contact tracing exercise will be tested.
  • Communal Dining. Communal dining is cancelled on ALL households until further notice.
  • Small Group Activities. Small group activities are cancelled on ALL households until further notice.
  • Outdoor Visits. Outdoor visits for residents of Short Stay and Apple Blossom are cancelled until further notice.  Residents on the Woods and the Lakes may continue to schedule outdoor visits at this time.

Communication is key, and we will continue to provide updates on any news, emerging issues, or additional changes in our operations. To stay informed, please return to our COVID-19 Information page or subscribe to our Email Updates.

Outdoor Visits Permitted

Guidance for Outdoor Visits
Dear Friends,
We have good news about outdoor visiting options starting Monday, June 22.  Thanks to you, our staff, and community, we are managing the risks of COVID-19 well at PioneerCare.
As a result, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has provided guidance on outdoor visits. Indoor visits will continue to be limited to essential health care personnel and compassionate care situations for now.
Here are some general details of our Outdoor Visiting Program:
  • Fair Weather. PioneerCare will allow outdoor visits on fair weather days. We will do our best to determine an appropriate definition of “fair weather,” and will reserve the right to cancel visits due to weather. In general, weather cancelations would result from rain, high wind, storms, extreme heat, etc.
  • Number of Visitors. We are limiting number of visitors per resident to one immediate household, or a maximum of four people from different households.
  • Advanced Scheduling. Due to the requirement to have staff available for support, we are requiring you to schedule your visit in advance during designated visiting hours. Visiting hours vary by location, so please contact the location where your loved one resides, or check PioneerCare’s website for specifics by location.
  • Designated Visiting Areas. Each location has designated outdoor visiting areas. These areas are set up to be comfortable, allow staff to monitor, and to promote the required social distancing and cleanliness requirements. Please contact the location or check PioneerCare’s website for specifics by location.
  • On-Site Visitor Screening and PPE. Each location will require visitors to be screened by designated staff prior to their visiting time, to wear masks and use alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Staff screeners will be readily available during visiting hours.
  • Avoid Physical Contact. To continue protecting everyone from potential virus transmission, we ask that you avoid hugs, handshakes and other physical contact.
  • MDH Guidance for Outdoor Visits. During your first outdoor visit, we’ll ask you to read a description of the visit requirements provided by the MN Department of Health (MDH), agree to follow those instructions, and accept that there is some COVID-19 risk even in these protected situations. PioneerCare is required to follow MDH guidance. I’ve included a copy for you. Please familiarize yourself with these guidelines.
  • Volunteers. MDH is allowing facilities to use volunteers to help coordinate outdoor visits. If you would like to volunteer, we would be excited to talk to you about those opportunities.
  • FAQ. For specifics on what to expect, see the Frequently Asked Questions document posted from our professional association, LeadingAge Minnesota.
I understand how difficult this has been for you and your family. We were all asked to prioritize safety during these past few months and the limited social contact with families was painful.
We deeply appreciate the sacrifices you made to limit the impact of COVID-19 on our community. While the virus will be with us for many more months, we all now know more about how take precautions like wearing masks, making sure our hands are clean, and deep cleaning high-touch surfaces to prevent COVID-19 from spreading.
Our entire team looks forward to seeing you outside and enjoying our well-earned Minnesota summer days. I will continue to keep you up to date on how our COVID-19 protection efforts are going. We are following state and federal guidelines in planning to re-open inside visiting as quickly as we can. For now, we will do everything we can to make your outdoor visits as comfortable as possible.
Thank you again for being partners with us in fighting the COVID-19 virus. Your messages of support, prayers, and patience will not be forgotten. There may be more challenges ahead, and we may need to make adjustments as we roll-out our new Outdoor Visiting program. If you have ideas to make it better, please do not hesitate to contact the building manager or reach out to me at 218-998-1518 or by email directly.
If you haven’t done so already, please consider signing up for our Email Updates frequently sent through Constant Contact as news from PioneerCare is available. You can register at https://www.pioneercare.org/join-our-email-list
Sincerely,
Nathan Johnson, CEO
PS: For more specific details on the new outdoor visiting guidance from Minnesota Department of Health, please click this button:

COVID-19 Testing Continues

PioneerCare completed the second round of voluntary facility-wide coronavirus (COVID-19) testing last week and results again show no confirmed cases among residents and staff.

The testing program, led and implemented by Minnesota Department of Health and Minnesota National Guard, is in response to a state-wide goal to complete such testing in all assisted living settings and nursing homes. The testing we’ve done has not been due to any suspected cases within Pioneer.

While this means we’ve seen two consecutive weeks of testing with no detected cases of the virus, we made the choice to go forward with a third round of facility-wide testing through the program. This third round is happening today – Wednesday, June 10.

If a case is discovered, PioneerCare will do follow-up testing every seven days until there are again two consecutive weeks of no new positive cases.

Otherwise, we will go into a surveillance testing plan:

If a case is not discovered, we will test only staff every two weeks. Experience from other providers shows that with effective infection control and resident monitoring practices in place, and with no cases identified in the facility, resident testing is no longer needed. For each round, 1/3 of staff of each facility will be selected randomly to participate. This frequency is subject to change depending on further guidance.

The health and wellbeing for residents and staff are highest priority, so repeated testing for the virus is important. We’re proud of our staff and thankful for their efforts at work, at home, and in the community for helping keep the virus from entering our living settings.

We will post today’s results on our website and as testing is repeated later, we will update results on our website’s COVID-19 Information page.

Testing Results: Round One

PioneerCare completed voluntary facility-wide coronavirus (COVID-19) testing last week and results show no confirmed cases among residents and staff.

The testing program is being led and implemented by Minnesota Department of Health and Minnesota National Guard.

The testing process isn’t over for residents and staff, however. PioneerCare has scheduled repeat testing through the program for at least two more consecutive weeks, depending on outcomes. If a case is discovered, PioneerCare will continue widespread testing every seven days until there are two consecutive weeks of no new positive cases.

The health and wellbeing for residents and staff are highest priority, so repeated testing for the virus is important. We’re proud of our staff and thankful for their efforts at work, at home, and in the community for helping keep the virus from entering our living settings.

As testing is repeated, we will post current test results on our website’s COVID-19 Information page:

Covid-19 Information

From Nathan Johnson: Facility Wide Tests Coming

A printed copy of this letter is being mailed to all PioneerCare staff, residents, tenants, and families…

 

To All PioneerCare Staff, Residents, Tenants and Families,

It has now been two months since President Trump declared a national emergency in response to the global coronavirus pandemic – two months that for many of you probably seem like a lifetime.

Despite Fergus Falls’ relative success in slowing the spread of COVID-19, we are beginning to see increasing infection in our area and around the state – especially with our more vulnerable populations.

I have an important message today about testing for all.  This week has been a flurry of rapidly evolving news. This past Sunday the White House announced its recommendation to test ALL long-term care staff and residents in the next two weeks and directed states to make a plan. On Wednesday, Governor Walz announced his plan to implement regional mobile testing teams for priority COVID-19 testing of ALL residents and ALL staff in long-term care. He directed the state epidemiologists and the National Guard to conduct the testing until more permanent Strike Teams for Testing are in place. Beginning yesterday COVID-19 testing will take place at 10 congregate care settings each day, and will increase up to 20 sites a day by next Thursday. The State’s goal is to conduct 10,000 tests each day starting next week. The tests will be prioritized for nursing homes and assisted living settings where COVID-19 is present. These are facilities like our Care Center and our Pioneer Cottages Memory Care. We are seeking clarification how Independent Living buildings, such as Pioneer Pointe, will be prioritized. Because we do not have a positive case in any of our settings, we are unsure what priority we will be given.

This approach to facility-wide testing on a single day is referred to as a “point prevalence survey,” or PPS, and provides information on the overall number of affected individuals in the facility. This strategy will help identify symptomatic and asymptomatic infected residents or staff. Residents who test positive will be cohorted on a dedicated unit or transferred to a COVID-19 specific facility.  Staff who have a positive COVID-19 test will not work. Asymptomatic staff with a positive COVID-19 test will not work. Return to work procedures will be strictly followed. Any staff required to be temporarily off work will be afforded all protections under the CARES Act. Regarding negative tests – negative tests only represent a single point in time and should not create a false sense of security. Repeat PPS testing will be conducted every seven days until there are two consecutive weeks of no new positive test results.

PioneerCare has informed MDH of our interest to voluntarily participate in facility-wide testing of ALL residents and ALL staff. We have requested Monday, May 18th as our testing date, but that is yet to be confirmed by MDH. It is MDH who will determine our level of priority and the actual testing date. We are asking everyone to be prepared to mobilize for testing quickly if/when it happens. All staff, residents, tenants and families will be notified if we get a positive test.

This is big news, but it is good news given the circumstances. I want you to know that PioneerCare, along with our Medical Director Dr. Colt Edin, supports this action.  I am asking for your support as well. While testing is only one component of PioneerCare’s broad-based response strategy, testing will help us assess the scope and magnitude of outbreaks and guide additional prevention and control efforts designed to further limit transmission among residents and staff.

Lastly, a quick word on the Governor’s action lifting the Stay at Home order and replacing it with a Stay Safe order. As of this writing, the Stay Safe order changes nothing for our settings. While the rest of the state begins to open up, MDH is requiring long-term care providers to leave all restrictions in place, including visitor restrictions. Staff should continue to do their best to take extra precautions while off duty. We continue to monitor this issue daily and will keep you promptly updated with any developments toward re-opening our buildings.

I will end by stating that from day one our top goal at PioneerCare has been the health, safety and wellbeing of our residents and our staff. As new information has poured in nearly every day, I am so grateful for how you have responded with a profound sense of urgency to keep residents safe, and to ensure their lives are filled with love and human connection despite the many restrictions we have in place. I am also grateful for how you care for yourselves, your families, each other, and our greater community. I urge you to keep leading by example as you follow the Governor’s Stay Safe order and wear your source control masks in public settings. I have said it from the beginning, and I will say it again – the better Fergus Falls does at mitigating the spread of this virus, the better chances our long-term care facilities have at doing the same.

Stay Healthy,

Nathan Johnson, CEO

It’s Puzzling

Everyone everywhere is rediscovering puzzles. They’re joining in the fun during this time of staying home. It’s always a popular pastime at Pioneer, but probably never as popular as now. We recently caught Mildred, Florence, and Charlotte in puzzle making action. (Photos by Cynthia Hanson).